Spring mounting machine



PH' 22, l- F. J. Hom-0N 2,239,997

SPRING MoUNTlNG MACHINE Original Filed Jan. 13, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 i I 0 J /0 3 55 INVENTOR.

"Fl E Fran' .l1/infini?.

BY W v/wn,

yA TTORNEYS.

PHE 22 M F. .1. Hom-QN SPRING MOUNTING MACHINE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Original Filed Jan. l5, 1936 INVENTOR. F'rdlv d.FJ Hara.

ZT MQW,

ATTORNEYS,

Patented Apr. 22, 1941 SPRING MOUNTING MACHINE Frank J. Horton, Detroit, Mich., assignor to The Murray Corporation of America, a corporation of Delaware Refiled for abandoned application Serial No.

58,818, January 13, 1936. This applicationl August 2, 1940, Serial No. 349,802

10 Claims.

This invention relates generally to spring mounting machines. More particularly, it relates to a novel and useful machine primarily adapted for automatically mounting a series of tensioned, arcuate spring members in a border frame, as originally filed on January 13, 1936, under Serial No. 58,818. This application is a substitute for application Serial No. 58,818 which has become abandoned.

The present invention is primarily concerned with the manufacture of spring seat cushions and similar related articles. In constructions of this general type cushions are generally formed of a pair of substantially rectangular frame members. Suitable means are provided for resiliently spacing these frame members one from another, and the upper of the two frame meanbers is provided with a spring surface in order to add resiliency to the structure as a whole. While it will be apparent that the generic inventive concept presented in this application Will find wide and practical utility in many and various fields, it will be clear that the specific disclosure of this case is primarily directed to the mounting of arcuately tensioned, sinuous spring elements in` a border frame element, the whole primarily designed to constitute one frame member of a resilient seat construction.

The present invention contemplates the provision of a machine which comprises a pair of substantially similar, oppositely mounted, synchronously driven units which are adapted to env gage the border wire at the side edges of a cushion frame and deform the border wire in order to lock, rmly, the terminal ends of the arcuate, sinuous spring elements in position therein.

The present invention further contemplates the provision of a jig for supporting the arcuate sinuous spring elements and the border wire in which they have been assembled with respect to the units of the machine mentioned in the preceding paragraph, and further automatic means are provided for automatically indexing the jig step by step with respect to the clamping unit of the machine in order to elect an intermittent clamping action on portions of the border wire of the frame, as the frame is moved through between the two units of the machine.

Yet another object of the present invention consists in the provision of a pair of jaw members of novel construction adapted to engage. a channeled border wire and deform the border wire in order to lock a spring element therein.

Still further, the present invention contemplates the provision of means associated with simultaneously actuating both of the jaw members in order to produce an unusually effective crimping of the border wire to lock spring elements therein.

Many other and further advantages and objects of the present invention will become apparent from the following specification when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings forming a part thereof.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a more or less diagrammatic plan view of a complete machine embodying the teachings of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged, fragmentary plan View with portions Ibroken away, illustrating one of the units of the machine;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged, transverse, sectional View, taken substantially on the lin-e 3 3 of Fig. 2, illustrating the automatic mechanism for indexing the jig with respect to the machine and also the apparatus for automatically operating the crimping jaws;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary plan view of a portion of a cushion-frame having a sinuous spring element clamped therein in accordance with the practice of the present invention;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view, showing a channeled border wire element with the terminal end of the sinuous spring element inserted therein prior to crimping;

Fig. 6 is a sectional view similar to Fig. 5,

showing the border wire element crimped, thus locking the spring element firmly in place there- With more particular reference to the drawings, the specific embodiment of the invention disclosed therein comprises a pair of oppositely disposed facing units lll and ll, respectively, adapted to operate on opposite sides of a spring frame to be formed. These units are so constructed and arranged as to provide a trackway I2 therebetween of sufficient width to permit the passage therealong of a jig adapted to carry the work to be operated on.

Inasmuch as these two units lil and Il are substantially identical in construction except for the fact that they are oppositely disposed, it is thought necessary only to describe one of the units in order to obtain a complete understanding of the invention. Consequently, it is thought to be adequate to the disclosure of the'present invention to describe in detail the functioning and operation of unit IE), and it will Ibe understood, as hereinafter explained in detail, that the unit Il is substantially identical and, as will be clearly seen hereinafter, is synchronouslyl operated therewith.

The unit l0 generally comprises a housing structure generally designated as l5 in which is journalecl for rotation a suitable primary drive shaft I6 which may be driven by any suitable source of rotational power (not shown). This drive shaft i6 has secured thereon a worm I1 which meshes with a worm wheel I8 secured to a longitudinally disposed shaft l journaled in suitable bearings in the housing structure I5. At

one of its ends, shaft I9 has a substantially circular face plate 22 secured thereto, which face plate has a cam trackway 23 in the axial face thereof. As will be seen by reference to Fig. 3, the conguration of this cam trackway is preferably concentric with the axis of rotation of the shaft I9 throughout a majority of its circumferential extent and the exact function of the cam trackway will be more clearly apparent from the following description.

A jaw operating arm 25 has a crimping jaw 2B secured to one end thereof and is pivoted for movement about a suitable pivot pin 21 suitabiy mounted in a housing cover structure 28. A jaw member pivoted about a separate spaced pivot 3| is adapted to cooperate with the jaw 26 to crimp the work, as will hereinafter be described, and it will be seen, by reference to Fig. 3, that the jaw member 26 is provided with a recess 33`which cooperates with a toothlike structure 34 formed on the jaw member 30 in order that the movement of the jaw actuating arm will serve to advance the jaws Si) and 26 toward each other or away from each other, depending upon the arcuate movement applied to the jaw operating arm 25. The jaws 25 and 3i) are guided during opening and closing movements by means of a suitab-le tting 33 surrounding the same and mounted rigidly on the housing cover 28. terposed between the jaw members and rigidly mounted with respect to the tting 3% is an abutment 31 which serves to position the work with respect to the jaws. It will be apparent that due to the stationary mounting of the abutment, stationary means are provided in between the jaws which serve effectively toposition the work with respect to the jaws and yet do not interfere with the opening or closing thereof.

A suitable boss or roller is journaled on the rear end of the jaw actuating arm 25 and adapted to seat in the cam trackway 23 in the face plate 22. It will be appreciated that as rotation of the drive shaft I6 takes place, a corresponding rotation of the face plate 22 will take place and it i will be seen that throughout the majority of rotational movement of this face plate, the boss 49 which lies in the cam trackway will travel in the concentric circular portion of the cam trackway and consequently produce no movement of the jaw members 25 and 30. However, throughout approximately 90 degrees of rotational movement, the boss, due to the configuration cf the cam trackway 23, will be drawn radially inward toward the axis of rotation of the shaft I9 and consequently effect a closure of the jaws 3D and 26 in order to operate upon the work in the manner described hereinafter.

Mounted at a suitable point on the shaft I9 is a bevel gear which meshes with a bevel gear 4,6 which is' preferably of the same size as the bevel gear 45 and which is connected to one end of a transversely extending shaft 41. The shaft 41, as will be seen in Fig. 1, may be provided in its longitudinal central portion with a tubular member 48 which serves to provide means for varying the axial length of the shaft and extends between the units I0 and I I of the machine serving to interconnect the same. From this construction it will be apparent that the two units II) and lI may be simultaneously and synchronously operated from the power shaft I5. It will likewise be appreciated that the two units Ii) and I I are so interconnected by means of the shaft 41 that the jaw members on the two separate machines are operable for simultaneous movement which, as will hereinafter be seen, is a very important feature of the present invention.

A jig is provided for mounting the work to be operated on by the jaw members 25 and 30, and preferably comprises a substantially rectangular framework 59 which may be formed of angle section and is adapted to seat in the trackway I2 and be moved longitudinally therealong as hereinafter described. At suitable intervals throughout its longitudinal length, this framework is provided with transversely extending spring supporting brackets 5I which at the opposite ends thereof are provided with pivotally mounted hooks 52 operated by suitable cranks 53 and links 54.

A border wire framework adapted to constitute the marginal edge portion of the upper frame of a cushion is provided which may preferably comprise a pair of border wire elements 55, which border wire elements have channels formed therein throughout their entire length and are angularly bent at their extreme ends and crimped around a transversely extending end wire 51 which is preferably formed of a diameter sufliciently small to seat in the channel of the border wire. Consequently, it will be seen that a rectangular seat frame is provided which throughout its sides has a border wire member having an inwardly presented channel running throughout its entire iength.

Arcuate spring elements 5) are mounted upon the jig and preferably have cine of their lateral convolutions engaged by the hooks 52 in order to tension the spring elements to an arc of greater radius than that which they would normally assume. In the specific embodiment of the invention herein illustrated, it will be appreciated that the arcuate spring elements B9 are of generally sinuous form comprising a similar series of lateral convolutions all lying in substantially the same arcuate surface. Preferably the hook members 52 engage the next to the last lateral convolution of each of these elements in order that they may be tensioned throughout their lengths and the hooks further serve to urge the last lateral convolutions of the spring elements into the channel of the border wire element 56. These hook elements 52 are preferably moved to a position such that the arcuate spring elements are tensioned to a desired degree and have the terminal ends thereof seated firmly in the channel of the border wire 55. The manner in which the last lateral convolution of the spring elements 66 is seated in` the channel of the border wire 5S is clearly illustrated in the sectional View shown in Fig. 5.

From the foregoingand by reference to Fig. 3, it will be apparent that'the structure described above is so constructed and arranged Vthat the border wire element 5S at the side edge of the frame will lie closely adjacent the abutment 31 between the jaws 3) and 26 at each side of the frame, and consequently the relative position of this border wire element with respect to the jaws 30 and 25 and abutments 31 will be maintained unchanged as the framework 5E is moved along the trackway I2.

An eccentric 10 is mounted upon the transverse shaft 41 and serves to reciprocate a longitudinally disposed arm 1I which in its rear end has a.

pivotally mounted spring pressed finger 'I2 secured thereto. It will be seen that the spring mounting of this pivoted nger 'l2 serves constantly to force this iinger into resilient engagement with the side of the channel member 50 of the framework. Throughout its longitudinal length the framework is provided with a plurality of spaced lugs 'i5 which this nger l2 engages and it will therefore be clear that, as rotation of the shaft l1 takes place, the framework as a whole will be moved step-by-step along the trackway l2.

Due to the construction and arrangement of the gearing element described above, it will also be clear that the jaw members 30 and 26 will be periodically closed once for every revolution of the shaft i9. As has been explained above, the shafts I9 and dl are geared together by means of the bevel lgears, 46 and i5 and have a one-to-one ratio which will consequently move the framework one step forward for every time the jaws 3Q and 26 are closed. The eccentric 'Eil is so mounted -on the shaft 4T that movement oi the framework does not take place during the time the jaws are being actuated.

From the foregoing it will be clear that when a plurality of spring elements 60 have been secured in position by means of the hooks 52, which serve to force the terminal ends of the spring elements into the channels of the border wire elements 55, the jig or framework 5t may be placed upon the trackway I2 and the machine started in operation. It will be clear that as rotation of the drive shaft I6 takes place, a corresponding rotation of the shaft i will serve to move the framework as a whole step by step along the trackway successively positioning the spring ends in the border wire element 55 between the jaws 3! `and 26. It will further be clear that while the border wire element is in this position, the jaw actuating arm moving in the cam trackway 23 will serve to close jaws 30 and 26 and Icrimp the border wire element around the terminal end of the arcuate spring element Eli in substantially the manner shown in Fig. 6. Further, it will be clear that, due to the presence of the abutment 3l between the jaws, the border wire element will be accurately positioned during the crimping operation.

Due to the presence of the two machines on opposite sides of the trackway, it will be apparent that both terminal ends of the arcuate spring element 60 may be simultaneously and eectively crimped into the channel of the border wire element 5S at opposite-sides orf the frame, firmly securing these members in position and creating an unusually simple and strong spring framework.

The above described specific embodiment of the present invention is merely illustrative of the generic inventive concept presented. Many other and further modications of the invention falling within the scope of the subjoined claim-s will be apparent t-o those skilled in the art.

What is claimed is:

1. In a spring mounting machine, a pair of units having a trackway therebetween, each of said units including a pair of jaws, means for synchronously actuating said jaws and means actuated synchronously with said jaw actuating means for moving work along said trackway.

2. In a spning' mounting machine, a pair of units having a trackway therebetween, each of said units including a pair of jaws, rotary means for periodically, synchronously, operating said jaws, and reciprociable means actuated by said rotary means for moving work to be operated upon step by step along said trackway.

3. In a spring mounting unit, a trackway, a jig movable along said trackway, a pair of jaws mounted on said unit adapted to operate on work carried by said jig and means for operating said jaws and moving work synchronously along said trackway.

4. In a spring mounting machine, a pair of opposed units having a t'rackway mounted therebetween, a jig mounted for movement along said trackway, jaws mounted on each of said units, a shaft extending between said units for effecting synchronous operation of said jaws and means associated with said shaft for effecting step by step movement of said work along said trackway.

5. A jig for use in spring mounting machines comprising a frame, a plurality of pivotally mounted hooks o-n said frame, said hooks adapted to engage arcuate sinuous spring elements to tension the same, and means for locking said hooks in position.

6. In al spring mounting machine, a pair of oppositely disposed units havingV a trackway therebetween, each of said units' including a.

pair of jaws, a shaft interconnecting said units for operating said jaws in synchronism, an eccentric mo-unted on said shaft, and means associated with said eccentric for moving work to be operated on `by said jaws along said trackw'ay.

7. In a spring mounting machine, a framework for supporting spring elements to be mounted, a pair of crimping jaws located at one of the sides of said framework, means between said crimping jaws serving to retain a border wire element in position upon the spring elements, means for moving said framework past said jaws and means operated synchronously with said last mentioned means for actuating said jaws.

8. In a spring mounting machine, a framework for supporting spring elements to be mounted, a pair o-f crimping jaws located at one of the sides of said framework, and a stationary abutment between said jaws serving to retain a border wire element in position upon the spring elements, means for moving said framework past said jaws and means operated synchronously with said last mentioned means for actuating said jaws.

9. A jig for use in spring mounting machines comprising a frame, a plurality of movable elements mounted on said frame serving to engage and support arcuate spring elements to retain the same in tensioned condition, and means for locking said movable elements in predetermined position.

l0. A jig for use in spring mounting machines comprising a framework, a plurality of pivotally mounted hooks om said framework adapted to engage arcuate sinuous spring elements to tension the same, means for simultaneously effecting movement of a plurality of hooks, and means for locking the same in predetermined position.

FRANK J. HORTON, 

